TapShield

TapShield emerged in 2013 as a mobile-first personal safety solution, founded by Jordan Johnson, a graduate of the University of Florida. After a stint in corporate finance at General Electric, Johnson was driven by a desire to create impactful change, leading him to the startup world. His first venture was a successful ride-sharing app, TapRide, which he sold before developing TapShield. This background in identifying and solving logistical challenges through mobile technology directly informed the creation of a sophisticated public safety tool.

The company developed an enterprise-grade personal safety platform primarily targeting college campuses and large corporations. The system operates on a SaaS model, providing a critical communication layer between individuals and emergency services. Its core function is to empower users to send a distress signal with a single tap on their smartphone. This action transmits vital data, including the user's real-time GPS coordinates, photograph, and pre-registered medical information, directly to a cloud-based incident response system monitored by police or security dispatchers. The immediate availability of this information was designed to dramatically reduce emergency response times.

The TapShield application was more than a simple panic button. It incorporated several features to enhance user safety, such as a map-based interface displaying real-time crime data in the vicinity. A function called 'Entourage' allowed users to set a destination and have the app monitor their journey, acting as a virtual escort. A notable feature was the patent-pending 'Yank' technology, which enabled a user to send a covert, silent alert simply by pulling the headphone cord from their phone. The platform was eventually acquired by Everbridge, a global leader in critical event management (CEM), integrating TapShield's mobile safety capabilities into its broader suite of enterprise resilience solutions.

Keywords: personal safety app, critical event management, emergency response system, mobile security, campus safety, corporate security, GPS tracking alert, lone worker safety, incident response platform, real-time crime mapping, silent alarm, enterprise safety, public safety technology, Jordan Johnson, Everbridge, emergency notification, mobile alert system, threat intelligence, security dispatch, geofencing safety